The Diva's Daughter
by Elizabeth Arian
Summary: The story of a dancer and a mechanic and how they fight in New York and beyond to prevent World War I...
1. Chapter 1

**The Diva's Daughter**

**Chapter One. New York**

The performance had been long and tiring. Anna threw off her shoes and collapsed onto the bed. These audiences were tough, it had been different when she'd been a child, travelling with her mother across continents, the people were always so polite and welcoming. Not now. Now they were demanding and hungry for more. Of course, Anna had been performing in less than reputable establishments since the death of her mother two years ago. That and the prospect of war tended to put a dampener on things. Still, she was comfortable and she could be doing worse things to make a living.

She had just closed her eyes when the door burst open and her dance partner flew in, a huge grin spread across his face. He slapped her leg affectionately.

"Anna, you're brilliant. That was the best performance I've ever seen you do – amazing!"

Anna smiled; anyone would think they were performing in some grand West End theatre instead of some flea bitten dive in New York.

"Thanks." She said, closing her eyes again, hoping that would be the end of the conversation.

"But I still think we need to work on that lift."

She groaned and opened one eye.

"Now Tom?"

He grinned at her.

"No better time, while the performance is still in your head."

Anna gritted her teeth as Tom pulled her up and dragged her out into the courtyard beyond her room. They worked until Anna could barely feel her legs, finally Tom's energy subsided and he finally retreated to his own room. Anna all but collapsed on a nearby scenery box and closed her eyes for the second time that night without much success. A mug was placed into her hands, she opened her eyes and looked up at the man before her.

"Drink it, look like you need it." The gruff voice said, as he sat next to her.

She sipped the concoction he had given her and winced.

"Brandy?" She said, scrunching up her tiny nose. The man laughed.

"Just a touch won't kill ya."

She smiled.

"Thanks Al." She drank gratefully and coughed. Al laughed gently and put a finger to his lips.

"Ssh, they catch me plying young girls with brandy and I'll be out of 'ere so fast me feet won't touch the ground."

She smiled and patted his hand,

"They wouldn't do that to you Al, you're too valuable."

His grey eyes stared at her and she shivered.

"Gone cold tonight."She gazed at the twinkling stars above her and sighed.

"Thinking about your mum?"

That shocked her. How could he know? Then Al always seemed to know things other people didn't.

"Mmmm, I miss her."

She could have sworn she heard him say 'Me too' but it was so subtle she couldn't be sure.

"What are you doing here Al?" She asked, relaxing back into the box and wrapping her hands around the mug, even though the contents were cold.

He raised an eyebrow at her;

"What is anyone doing anywhere? Trying to earn a living."

"You could earn a living anywhere, mechanics are in great demand nowadays. Why here, why New York?"

"It's a big city, teeming with life. A starting place."

"A starting place for what?"

He smiled and slapped her knee gently.

"You ask too many questions my girl."

Anna shrugged.

"Must be a trait I get from my mother, this insatiable curiosity."

Al's eyes dimmed for a moment and he didn't smile. it always amazed Anna how it affected Al when she talked of her mother. Maybe he had lost someone too, the man was such a riddle...

"You should get to bed, it's been a long night."

Anna sighed and murmured her agreement.

"You don't want to let that Tom take advantage of you, working you all hours." Al continued, helping her to her feet.

"No, I won't, he just wants to get the act right. You know, move us on to bigger and better things." Anna spread her arms and did a mock curtsey.

" You're destined for big things Anna, but don't let yourself be pushed until you're ready to go."

Al put a long arm around her shoulders and Anna rested her head on his chest. He smelt of tobacco and brandy, she breathed it in and allowed herself to relax. They stood that way for a while.

"You'll never leave me will you Al."

Al bent down and kissed Anna's hair.

"I'll be here for as long as you need me."

Anna gazed up at him in adoration.

"Promise?"

Al smiled and stroked her cheek with his finger.

"Promise. Now get to bed."

She smiled beautifully at him and disappeared through the door. Al remained until her light switched off and then he disappeared into the dark, unaware that in the shadows a man watched and waited...

* * *

><p><em>Reviews always welcome, if anyone wants to be a Beta reader let me know! As always I hope you enjoy my work :0)<em>


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two  
><strong>

"Is he there?" The German asked, smoke from his cigarette twirling in wreathes above his head.

"He's there." His agent replied, his arms folding in mock defence. The German smiled.

"Good I knew Al would not let me down."

* * *

><p>Anna's head hit the floor with a thud. When she stood, she could see tiny yellow spots dancing in front of her eyes. A strong sinewy arm lifted her to her feet and she leaned on it.<p>

"Ouch." She said, rubbing a hand across her head.

"Sorry." Tom said, in between his laughs.

"It's not funny Tom." Al said, in a voice that defied opposition, making sure Anna had stopped wobbling, "You need to be more careful with her."

Tom laughed again,

"Come on Al, she's a dancer, this comes with the territory!" He slapped Al's arm and Al shot him a look that would have king's quaking in their boots. Tom was, however, oblivious to this.

"Come on. Again." He said, taking Anna's arm from Al who followed her with his eyes. Anna shook herself and nodded.

"Alright, I'm ready."

Tom lifted her again and Al watched as Anna's body whirled in the air. He barely noticed the man at his elbow. A small cough made him turn his head.

"Can I help you?" He said, turning his head but not his body, towards the man.

"We need to talk." The man said in small voice with what Al thought sounded like a European accent.

"And you are?" Al was never one for pleasantries, especially not for men who appeared coughing at his elbow.

"A friend."

"I doubt it." Al returned gruffly, turning his head back to the dancing couple.

"I urge you to talk to me, I believe it would be in your best interests to do so."

Al grunted but did not move his head.

"I see communication is not your strong point." The man drawled, taking something out of his jacket pocket. Al followed the movement with his eyes but remained still. The man took a small piece of paper and a pencil; he scribbled something and pressed the paper into Al's hand who glanced at it, then at the man.

"Think about it." He smiled, tipped his hat, glanced quickly in Anna's direction and walked away.

Al watched him go with a raised eyebrow. Why Anna? They couldn't possibly know who she really was – even she didn't know. He was the only one and he had to protect her.

* * *

><p>After the night's performance and the theatre was in darkness, Al liked to stroll in the emptiness and think. During the day there were so many bodies and swirling colours and noise that his own thoughts got lost amongst them all. Here, now, it was peaceful. He took his pipe from his inside pocket and smiled, he had missed this. He kept his pipe only for quiet moments when he was alone, he did have an image to maintain after all and a cigarette suited that image far better than his old pipe. Still there were some things one could not give up easily and a quiet smoke and a good think of an evening were something he sorely missed. He sat in the third row of the stalls and propped his long legs up on the chair in front of him. Leaning his head back, he blew a ring of smoke into the air and sighed. Silence. How it aided his mind in this noisy country! He thought of home, long gone as it was and he thought of Anna, her mother and all she had meant to him and how strange it was that he should be risking his life to protect her daughter. He blew more smoke into the air and was suddenly aware of a breeze behind him, inside he tensed but his body remained perfectly calm and outwardly relaxed.<p>

"Are you sure you should be here?" A German voice said quietly behind him.

"I don't think it's me that needs to be worried." Al said, his slow American drawl grating on the German's words.

"You need to be watching her. She is valuable, if anything happens, if they find her you're life won't be worth living."

Al laughed sharply and stood up, walking casually over to the German he slapped a hand on his shoulder.

"My life ain't all that worth living now is it?" Al winked and strolled past his captor in search of his charge, in spite of his nonchalance Al knew the man was right. If _they _caught Anna, his life would be worth even less than it was now. How he longed for home.

* * *

><p>He had never felt nervous before, in all his long life Al had never felt what you could call apprehension but now, as he approached Anna's trailer, he felt a knot tie in his stomach and he wanted to run. He resisted the urge and crept up the steps, gently pushing the door to make sure it didn't creak. A single candle illuminated the tiny trailer and a mass of curls lay on the pillow of the little bed. He moved toward her and bent down gently to listen to her breathing. She groaned slightly in her sleep and Al smiled. <em>Sleep well child<em>, he thought, putting out a hand and then thinking better of it, in case he woke her. He turned and crept away, once again out in the night he allowed himself a deep breath. The night was indeed beautiful and he regretted having no-one to share it with. He strolled slowly to the garage, and his sleeping quarters. He paused before entering as he always did, just in case, but there was no-one. He lit the lamp and thew himself down into the nearest chair. He lit a cigarette and began to think of home. England. Yes, for all his American drawl, Al was English and he was here, as a mechanic, as an _American_ for a reason. The best of reasons, he thought, to save his country. He sighed as he realised he may never go home, never see the people he loved again. And he did love. He looked up at the mantlepiece, jack knifed to it was a magazine that bore a name, _Sherlock Holmes_, he smiled. His name. He smiled again when he realised he may never be known by that again.


End file.
